Known World
The Known World takes 400 days to travel round its sun, a much larger and hotter star than our own, and is orbited by two moons. The larger of these - known in The Empire as Mannslieb ("Beloved of Manann") - has a cycle of 25 days from full to full and looks not unlike the moon of our own world. The other - named Morrslieb ("Beloved of Mórr") - is erratic, appearing now closer, now further away than its partner. There are two main legends concerning the origins and nature of Morrslieb. According to the first, it was once a gateway in the sky, through which daemons came to prey upon the people of the Known World. Mórr inflicted a great and terrible death upon them and fashioned the second moon out of the wreckage, so that mortals would never forget how the god had saved them. The second legend maintains that when Chaos first broke through into the Known World, a great block of Warpstone was hurled high into the sky, where it circles endlessly, spreading Chaos on the lands over which it passes. This legend is believed mainly by the followers of Chaos, who hold festivals when Morrslieb is full. The History Of The World Ten thousand years ago, the world lay in the grip of a persistent and numbing ice age. To the north, all the lands as far as what is now Araby were barren, cold tundra. Those creatures that lived upon the globe were mostly confined to the equatorial regions - amongst them were the ancestors of Elves, Dwarfs, and Humans. Little more than animals, they roamed over the forests and tundra, hunting wild beasts and grubbing for roots in the ground. But these were not the only races inhabiting the globe. The world was also occupied by creatures of cosmic intelligence, beings whose whims were making an impact upon the fate of the planet and its evolving inhabitants - these were the Old Slann. The Old Slann were an ancient race. Countless millions of years ago, they originated upon an unknown world, many light-years across the galaxy. They were strange, unfathomable, and powerful beyond imagining. In their civilisation, astrophysics, mystic-philosophy, and arcane-magic were as one and their lives were directed by thoughts and emotions unknown and unknowable by such paltry minds as live upon the earth today. They learned how to travel from world to world via a system of complex interdimensional gateways - and they also learned of the perils of the voids between space, of the lurking horrors that inhabited the regions of Chaos into which their gateways led. During their domination of the universe, the Old Slann travelled to many worlds, including this one... Over many millennia, the Old Slann were frequent visitors, bringing new plants and animals and encouraging the development of those they had brought before. They thinkered with the genetic structures - presumably to meet some strange need of their own - and they even moved the orbit of the planet so that the climate grew warmer. The ice-sheets retreated and, gradually, deep forests spread over the area that was later to be known as the Old World. Encouraged by the improved climate, creatures began to move northwards to inhabit the new lands and foremost amongst them were the Elves. The young race grew to love the woodlands and were taught to cultivate the natural harvest of trees and plants. From their great city on the western continent, the Old Slann kept a careful eye on the progress of the Elves. Even before the Elves had gained any real measure of civilisation, the Slann transported them away from the Old World, relocating them on a vast island between the main continental masses. There the Elves were carefully nurtured, so that a flourishing and sophisticated society grew in the land that is known today as Ulthuan, the Elven Kingdoms. By now, the Dwarfs had begun to migrate northwards, following the route which the Elves had taken. Finding the Old World to their liking, they began to build crude rock shelters amongst the mountains and to husband the wild beasts for their skins, meat, and milk. The rises of Humanity as a civilised race was still long-distant and the few inarticulate savages that lived amongst the forests posed no real threat to the early Dwarfs. The plans of the Old Slann seem to have been progressing well. The planet was warmer and more hospitable to the new creatures developing upon it. The emerging races were developing fast and the direction of their evolution lay firmly in the hands of the Old Slann. What the purpose of all this experimentation was remains a mystery. Perhaps the races of Elves, Dwarfs, and Humans were destined to become slaves, servants, or helpmates of the Old Slann. Perhaps they were nothing more than a fascinating experiment carried out by creatures whose powers extended into the fabric of space and the voids of ultimate terror. Whatever the truth, it seems unlikely that it will ever be discovered, for the experiement was cut short by a disaster of cataclysmic proportions. The Fall Of The Old Slann The interdimensional gateways of the Old Slann enabled them to travel quickly over distances of many light years. From outside, the gateways appeared as black holes: many of them quite small and situated upon planets, others huge and positioned deep in space. The two largest gateways on the world were situated above the poles and formed the principle entrance and exit points for the Slann's huge vessels. The gateways constituted entrances into a reality of 'inbetween space', 'warpspace', or 'void'. However, this void was not really empty, but composed of a shifting, fluid, wholly alien fabric. It was possible to travel through the void, powerfully engineered spells keeping the void-stuff away from the traveller. Such protection was necessary because the voids were inhabited by forces and powers incomprehensible to minds such as ours. The Old Slann knew of these perils and learned how to placate many of the strange entities by means of eldritch sorcery and unholy sacrifices. It was the collapse of one or both of these polar gateways that led to the creation of the world as it is today. What happened exactly can only be guessed at - most likely the Slann encountered some intelligence too great even for their magic or perhaps some catastrophic accident caused a malfunction in the machinery that controlled the gateways. From their positions in space, the gateways erupted over the polar areas of the planet, unleashing the void's chaotic matter upon the world and forming a permanent bridge to countless other realities and places. These two vast areas of dimensional instability enabled many strange and dangerous creatures to pass into the world and there lie the origins of many of the wild and terrible monstrosities that live here today. More dangerous still, the collapse of the gateways enabled many of the entities living in the void to manifest themselves partially within our universe. These multi-dimensional beings had been appeased by the Old Slann, but now they were free to pursue their insane whims and compulsions in a world that had been barred to them for so long. Many of these entities were small, malicious things, uncaring for creatures that had only a physical life; others were larger and more powerful, the Gods and Daemons of the void. These beings could exist simultaneously in several realities, although in each reality their consciousness might manifest itself in a different way and often took form according to the influence of other wills. Thus, the strongest amongst them often gave shape to the weaker, while the least strong entered into the minds of living creatures and turned them to the service of the new gods. The Beginning Of The Rule Of Chaos The entities that shifted part of their consciousness into the world were of many kinds and dispositions. Some were benign, others less so, and most were insane or mindless. But all were creatures of the void, all had their roots in the Chaos stuff that composed their own realms. As only part of their being could enter into the world, some manifested themselves as true Chaotics, creatures of whim and change, whilst others entered as single-minded personalities encapsulating harmony and stasis - Lawful entities (Law being but one possibility amongst the multitudinous possibilities of Chaos). A battle began between the entities for domination of the world and, as the balance of power shifted from Chaos to Law, the polar warpgates shrank or grew, expanding with the fortunes of Chaos and shrinking with the ascension of Law. All the while, the warpgates gave issue to a continuous stream of change and corruption, growing to a flood during the domination of Chaos. At the time of the initial catastrophic collapse of the gateways, a great deal of raw material was sucked from the void into the world. This pure Chaos matter was mostly of a fine, dust-like quality, although there were also a great many weightier chunks. These larger pieces of Chaos matter came to be known as Warpstone, a mighty source of raw Chaotic energy and magical power, while the entities that accompanied it formed the new daemons and deities in a world deprived of the protection of the Old Slann. Worse still, the corrupting influence of the Warpstone and the finer dust twisted many creatures into new and horrifying shapes. This led to the creation of many new races, including the foul Human mutations known as Beastmen and the arch-servants of Chaos - the foul ratmen who call themselves Skaven. The Decline Of The Slann With the collapse of the interdimensional gateways - 7,000 years ago - the Old Slann civilisation upon this planet came to an end. Their descendants gradually forgot the old ways and knowledge and their cities fell into ruin - the crude imitations erected in their place were but a shadow of their former glories. The Slann could not fight the decline of their knowledge, as old philosophies, technology, and traditions were slowly lost, passing into meaningless ritual or becoming wreathed in the shroud of legend. However, the Slann remained strong-willed creatures, resilient to the lure of Chaos. They retained some of their great magics and were still able to bend the wills of the now-unfettered creatures of the void. These creatures came to be worshipped as gods and the Slann sought to placate them in earthly ways, by sacrifice and weird ritual magic. Only rarely would the Slann take to the worship of Chaos Gods, while the physical mutations that afflicted the other races affected them but little. The greatest threat to the Slann civilisation came from the new races who, mutated by Chaos, grew swiftly in power. They burrowed beneath the cities of the Slann and emerged to wreak havoc in the forms of plague, fire, and murder. The foul lizard creatures in the mountains gradually riddled the western continent with their worm holes and, more recently, the delvings of other Chaos creatures has joined them, so that now Chaos is almost in a position to commence the final assault upon the last remnants of the Slann civilisation. Yet the greatest servant of Chaos, albeit an unknowing one, is Humanity. For the Human race is irrevocably tainted by the lust for power, conquest, and riches. Today, the Slann find their lands invaded by all manner of Humans from the eastern continent - adventurers from the Old World and the ruthless Norse. Spurred by these events, the decline of the Slann advances apace and many have taken to the secret worship of the Dark Gods. With the collapse of the Old Slann civilisation, the races of Elves, Dwarfs, and Humans were left to their own devices. The Elves were tainted least by the Warpstone which rained down from the atmosphere - a few were corrupted, but most remained true to the ideals instilled in their genetic make-up by the Old Slann. The Dwarfs were less fortunate. Being less developed, they were more susceptible to the effects of the Warpstone; their personalities were changed in ways that could not have been forseen by the Old Slann. Humans fared worst of all, for they were exposed to the Warpstone before the race had developed much beyond the stage of unthinking animals. As it was with the developing races, so it was with all the creatures of the world, so that in every bloodline of every creature was planted the taint of Chaos - the taint that would always produce mental corruption or physical mutation as the years passed. In Humanity, the thrill of Chaos bore many things that were good, yet there was planted within the Human breast a hidden danger, a weakness for evil, fated to spell the doom of the race as surely as the more manifest evils that riddled the forests and mountains. The Development Of The Elves Largely untouched by the collapse of the interdimensional gateways, the Elves in their island kingdoms continued to prosper. Their already considerable knowledge of the Old Slann magic allowed them to control and direct many of the new entities. From amongst these beings, the Elves chose several benign creatures and cultivated their worship, including the hedonistic creature they called Meneloth. Within a thousand years of the collapse of the Old Slann, the Elves had developed their own high-minded and sophisticated civilisation and had begun to explore the world from their island home. It is nearly 6,000 years ago that they first sailed west and marvelled at the ruins of the Old Slann. To the east, they established settlements along the coasts of the Old World, where they discovered the emerging race of Dwarfs and began a long partnership of trade and cultural exchange. At least initially, the Elves had much to teach this new race and much to gain in the form of mineral wealth, rare skins, and precious gems. For a thousand years, all was well, until the still-growing forces of Chaos touched the minds of the Elves. Although they were magicians of incredible power, the Elves were but children compared to the Old Slann and many were seduced into the worship of dark, evil gods. But the Elves were basically good creatures (perhaps because the Old Slann had intended them to be so) and the greater majority resisted the influences of Chaos. A mighty civil war ensued, raging through the Elven Kingdoms for many years. In the end, the evil Elves were banished, fleeing to the western lands, where they became known as Dark Elves. For a while, the world returned to a semblance of peace and prosperity, although the growing ambitions of the Dwarfs and the arrogance of the Elves bode ill for the future. Relations between the two races continued to decline, until just under 5,000 years ago (2,000 years after the fall of the Old Slann), a vast war broke out , the memory of which still taints relations between the two races to this day. Many died on both sides and many of the most famous Dwarven cities were destroyed. Eventually, however, the Elves abandoned the Old World, except for a few who settled deep within the forests away from Dwarf domination. The Dwarfs considered themselves the victors, but they had lost many settlements and a good portion of their population. From that time onwards, the Elves were involved in the affairs of the Old World only occasionally. Their own civilisation has remained largely static and they have become introspective, hedonistic, and culturally isolated. Their ships still ply the oceans of the world, trading with emerging Human civilisations and the remnants of the Slann living in the great continent of Lustria. Over the last five thousand years, the Elves have disintegrated into four distinct kindreds - Sea Elves, High Elves, Wood Elves, and Dark Elves. The Development Of The Dwarfs The Dwarfs were the second race to travel northwards from the equator as the world warmed and deep forests spread into the Old World. By the time they arrived, the Elves had long since departed to the lands put aside for them by the Old Slann. The Dwarfs spread along the mountain chain later known as the Worlds Edge Mountains, which begins in the tropical Southlands and extends far north to beyond the Old World. As they travelled northwards, the Dwarfs dug tunnels into the mountains. At first, they lived in crude natural caverns, then massively constructed stone shelters, and eventually large stone fortresses, partly above and partly below ground. The Dwarfs did not move northwards en masse, but spread slowly, so that early southern settlements were never abandoned and the whole mountain range formed a single Dwarven domain of vast size. The fall of the Old Slann happened at the dawn of Dwarf civilisation and, for this reason, many Dwarfs exhibit traces of Chaotic behaviour, doubtless due to the mutating influence of the stuff of Chaos drawn into the world when the gateways collapsed. Similarly, the Dwarfs only developed socially once the gods and other powers of the world had established themselves, so they never gained the measure of control over them enjoyed by the Elves. Nevertheless, the Dwarfs were a developed race by the time the Elves returned to the Old World and were especially skilled builders, metal workers, and warriors. Already they had met and overcome countless creatures of Chaos and their eternal struggle against the Goblins and Orcs had begun (though many people believe that Goblins and related creatures are but twisted descendants of Dwarfs and Elves, mutated by the initial surge of Chaos matter into the world, while others believe that such evil creatures gained entrance from other worlds via the collapsing gateways). The Dwarfs benefited enormously from the older civilisation of the Elves and a healthy exchange of goods and ideas enabled both to grow whilst keeping the chaotic creatures at bay. Before the Elves and Dwarfs began to war against each other, the Dwarfs enjoyed massive prosperity and their population grew considerably. Huge cities were erected within the Worlds Edge Mountains and fantastic treasures were crafted from gems excavated in mines whose tunnels extended miles below the surface. However, all was to be lost in the wars against the Elves - wars which grew out of the increasing rivalry between the two races. With the end of the wars and the abandonment of the Old World by the Elves, the Dwarfs found themselves unable to maintain their vast realm and, one by one, their fortresses and cities fell to the Goblins and their allies. The final blow came 4,000 years ago, in the form of massive volcanic activity which destroyed many Dwarf settlements and covered the lands to the east with ash, debris, and eternal cloud. It seems unlikely that the creation of the Dark Lands in this way could have had a natural origin, for it suited the purposes of the creatures of darkness too well; following the ruin of the Dwarfs, the Worlds Edge Mountains become infested with all manner of evil creatures, including void-dwelling Daemons, many of whom were worshipped by the Goblins as gods. But the Dwarfs were not quite destroyed, although they were severely reduced in power. Those that remained in the scattered communities of the mountains were forced into constant battle with the Goblins, so that this became known as the era of the Goblin Wars. One of the few Dwarven cities to remain free was Karaz-a-Karak, the largest and greatest Dwarven domain, and one situated well north of the main volcanic activity. Some Dwarfs abandoned the Worlds Edge Mountains altogether and established new realms in the Black Mountains and the Grey Mountains. The Beginnings Of Humanity It was after the fall of the great Dwarven realm and the scattering of the Dwarfs amongst the mountains of the Old World that dealings first began with the Humans. This was some 3,000 years ago and 4,000 years after the fall of the Old Slann. During which time Humanity had developed wholly within the new Chaos-warped world. Few were so heavily influenced by Chaos that they worshipped the Chaos Gods, but undoubtedly the qualities of vigour, aggression, and cultural change that were altogether lacking in the Elves and only partially present in the Dwarfs were developed in them to a high degree. The Dwarfs watched the first Human tribes struggle upwards from the south and they occasionally traded with them, swopping skins and furs for metal implements, baubles, and occasional services. Humans learned much from these exchanges, but they were fiercely independent and so their cultural advance took a separate and rapid form. Within five hundred years, Humanity had evolved from naked savages into farmers and herders - barbarians certainly, but mighty warriors opposed to creatures of evil such as the Goblins. The Dwarfs, so long in danger of being swamped, had found a new ally and, together, the two races drove the Goblins out of the Old World, back into the darkness. The deeper forests and mountains remained dangerous, but the majority of the Old World was now free. The Dwarfs continued to live in their ancestral homes, under constant threat from Goblins, but far safer than they had been for many years. Whilst Humanity continued to thrive and develop, the Dwarfs retained a close identity with the mountains and mines. Over the next two thousand years, Humanity developed into an urban civilisation and the traditional crafts of the Dwarfs were welcomed in the bustling, populous Old World. Today, many Dwarfs live in Human cities, where their skills of engineering and metal work make them a handsome living. However, it is still an undeniable truth that the Dwarfs are a dying race, their settlements in the Worlds Edge Mountains becoming fewer every year, whilst their traditionally slow reproductive rate means that their numbers are constantly dwindling. Worse still, a severe eruption of the northern gateway recently drove many Chaos creatures into the northlands, at the same time corrupting a good many of the northern Dwarfs, turning them into the foul Chaos Dwarfs. The Development Of The Halflings The origin of these small Humanoids is unclear, but seems connected to that of Humanity, since it is recognised that when Humanity followed the Dwarfs northward, the Halflings were already a distinct race. They are not a prolific people and there have never been very many of them - even today can there said to be no more than a few thousand of these small creatures. They represent what may have been the last of the Old Slann genetic experiments and one can imagine that this was an attempt to engineer a creature that would be immune to the mutating effects of Chaos - which indeed Halflings largely are. Their similarity to Humans (especially children) may point to a Human origin, but this would have to have occurred well before the breakdown of the Old Slann civilisation. If Halflings were an attempt to produce a creature that would survive a predicted disaster involving the gateways, then the experiments may have been largely unfinished when the disaster began. Although immune to the influences of Chaos, Halflings lack the physical strength and mental maturity that would enable them to stand alone. Instead, they have lived alongside Humanity for as long as anyone can remember, enjoying the protection of its size and the greater endeavour of its industry. The Rise Of Humanity Humans are a recent addition to the races of the Old World. Only three thousand years ago, primitive hunting bands followed the Dwarfs northwards and began to settle in the forests of the Old World. At first, they lived by hunting wild game, fishing, and collecting natural harvests. Within a short time, however, they had constructed relatively primative settlements (perhaps in imitation of the stone fortresses of the Dwarfs) and begun to herd cattle. As the various tribes began to carve out territory for themselves, their development was hindered by both their own rivalries and feuds and attacks from the ubiquitous Goblin hordes. Both problems were eventually solved by the emergence of a strong leader in the form of Sigmar Heldenhammer ("Hammer of the Goblins"), who unified the Human tribes of the northeastern Old World and, in alliance with the Dwarfs, finally defeated the goblin armies, pushing them back into the Dark Lands. Thus were the foundations of the present day Empire laid. Over the next five hundred years, Humanity expanded vigorously. The reasons for the race's rapid ascension may be traced to its origin at a time when the interdimensional gateways were collapsing, releasing a great deal of raw Chaos material into the world. Although Chaos has the power to mutate and destroy, it is also typically aggressive, changeable, and vigorous. Humanity inherited many of these qualities. There were many amongst the race who were doomed to corruption by the creeping Chaos - their forms mutated, their minds and bodies twisted so that new races of abhuman creatures developed - the hideous Beastmen. But the vast majority remained identifiably Human and the Beastmen and other foul mutations were driven into the dark woods or under the ground where dwelt other vile servants of Chaos. Fifteen hundred years ago, The Empire collapsed into a number of warring petty kingdoms, largely based around the new cities the Humans began to build. These were still pretty crude by the standards of the Dwarfs and Elves and life remained very hard for the majority - no one expected to live very long and famine and disease were rife in an age that lacked all but the most primative of conveniences. Most people spent their entire lives scratching a living from the soil. Building was, for the most part, in wood, whilst the effort of erecting stone buildings was reserved for some tombs, temples, and occasional fortresses. At about this time, Humanity developed a coherent written language, although its use would not become even remotely common for another five hundred years. In the south, a new threat had arisen, in the shape of invaders from Araby bent on a religious crusade. With further invasions of nomadic Humans from the east, some 750 years ago, and the settlement of the area now known as Kislev by many of these tribes, the Old World began to assume the political shape it has today. Realising that their internal squabbling was leaving them open to attack from other Humans, let alone the Incursions of Chaos, The Empire was reunited under Magnus the Pious. With the development of a road system of sorts and the building of usable waterways, the various nations became fairly stable and flourishing communities developed. A typical city of today may contain several thousand inhabitants, with many fine buildings of stone or even the newly-invented brick. Art, science, literature, and study of all kinds thrive under the patronage of enlightened individuals, whilst everyone welcomes the dawn of a new age of Human enlightenment. Humanity is no longer bound wholly to the soil and many earn their living as artisans of one kind or another, while the development of industry continues apace. Metallurgy, glass making, printing, woodcraft, and textiles now all surpass those of even the Dwarfs, many of whom are involving themselves actively in the new developments. Gunpowder is perhaps the most recent discovery, although it is as yet rather an unreliable and under-exploited one. The Encroachment Of Chaos So Humanity has prospered and grown, its advancing civilisation appearing to be solid and permanent. However, few guess at the infirmity of the foundations upon which it is built. Every generation breeds fresh evil, new mutations, and corruptions of the Human spirit. Whilst many malformities are slain at birth and countless others driven into the deep forests, there are always some, those least tainted in appearance, who remain part of Human society. Within the cities of the Old World and in the unholy groves of the deep forest, decadent Humans honour the foul Gods of Chaos. To the majority of Humans, such things remain a mystery and few imagine the perils posed by their own kin. The woods and forests of the wilderness are another matter. Here the dangers are more tangible - the growing bands of Goblins and Chaos Beastmen. Travellers fear the dark, close forests and only a fool would journey in the mountains without the safety afforded by considerable numbers. Even below the cities of Humanity, underneath the deepest sewers and culverts, the doom of Chaos gnaws as the bowels of civilisation. Mutant creatures, possessed of cruel intelligence, rule a world of caverns and tunnels unknown to Humanity. Principal amongst these are the Skaven - Chaos Ratmen and servants of entropy. Their delvings span continents in a web of decay that prospers below the very homes of Humanity, while their tunnels connect secretly with cellars and drains. They feed upon filth and those unfortunate enough to stray within their grasp and yet no one suspects the extent of their crawling evil. Humanity is always ready to find a rational explanation for the horrors that befall its cities - decay, disappearances, plague, fire, and death. And, every so often, the very borders of the chaotic wastelands expand and move in seething waves of corruption. Everything and everyone caught in this flood finds that even the laws of nature are warped beyond all meaning. Change and mutation are engendered and accelerated in the inanimate as much as in living creatures. Stone can melt and flow, people and animals are warped and welded together in horrific forms, and always amid the sea of Chaos are the Hordes of Chaos Warriors - killing and delighting in their slaughter. And, when the tide eventually turns, as it always has done so far - although it never withdraws quite as far as it advanced - those that have been changed remain so, swelling the ranks of the servants of Chaos. Thus, while Human civilisation grows apace, so does the influence of Chaos grow in turn. The physical and spiritual corruption of the races engineered by the Old Slann will ultimately destroy them. Even the creatures created by the forces of Chaos are doomed to extinction. For, with Chaos' final triumph, all life will decay into a seething mass of protoplasm in which lost and screaming souls float helplessly, enduring the forms thrust upon them by the uncaring Gods of Chaos. But the victory of Chaos, although certain, may be delayed - for Lawful and other non-Chaotic void creatures will strive to protect their own identities and ideals. With the victory of Chaos, they too will be swept back into the voids to rejoin the identities from which they were created as the gateways fell. The servants of Chaos strive constantly to undermine the civilisations of Humans, Dwarfs, and Elves - and amongst Humans they find the keenest converts, innocents already tainted by the lust for the power which Chaos can give them in return for their souls. Timeline For The Known World The History as described above is summarised in the following chart. Obviously, over such a long period, dates can only be approximate. Nevertheless, the dating systems of the Elves, Dwarfs, Halflings, and Humanity have been included in separate columns. High Elves count the years from the founding of their Kingdom in the Great Ocean, while Old World Wood Elves usually consider year 1 to be the first year of their colony in the forest of Loren in Bretonnia. Old World Dwarfs start their reckoning from the foundation of the Kingdom of Karaz-a-Karak in the Worlds Edge Mountains, while Humanity counts from the final defeat of the Goblin hordes at the end of the Goblin Wars, an event which made possible the founding of The Empire. The Halflings use a variety of different dating systems, but all acknowledge the founding of their semi-autonomous state within The Empire as being of especial significance. Category:World Guide Category:History